State Farm Insurance Companies has awarded a $2,600 grant to the Impaired Driving Impact Panel of Island County.

Besides DUI impact panels, IDIPIC offers comprehensive safety classes to educate youth about the dangers of underage drinking, other drug use and DUI. Classes range from elementary to high school and beyond.

The State Farm grant will help cover some of the costs and materials used in IDIPIC’s work with high school and middle school students.

“Th!nk, Don’t Drink, Drug and Drive” has been a popular safety seminar provided to driver’s education classes since 2002. The program includes a walk-the-line lesson with “Fatal Vision” impairment goggles and a question-and-answer session.

“Th!nk, Don’t Drink or Drug” has morphed from a lunchtime display and safety activity started in 2003, to a year-round classroom seminar available to middle school health or science classes as requested by teachers. The display and safety activity is still available and was used by Langley Middle School in June.

“IDIPIC is very grateful to State Farm and all our Partners in Prevention for their support in our efforts for ‘safer kids, safer roads,’ which ultimately benefits us all,” said IDIPIC director JoAnn Hellmann.

IDIPIC is a nonprofit established in 2000, dedicated to deterring DUI driving and underage drinking through education and awareness. Since its start, more than 21,000 have attended its DUI/underage drinking prevention panels held in Freeland, Oak Harbor and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.